How to Sideload Fire TV Apps on Your Fire TV Stick or Cube

It's easy to break free from the Amazon app store

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Updated on December 28, 2020

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Amazon provides a lot of great Fire TV apps through its official app store, but that's not the only place to find them. To unlock the true potential of your Fire TV device you might consider sideloading apps like Kodi, Allcast, and even some OS emulators.

Sideloading a Fire TV device is not very difficult, but it is significantly more complicated than downloading and installing official apps.

Why Should You Sideload Fire TV Apps?

Sideloading is a process that allows you to install applications that are not available through the official Amazon app store. This allows you to run Android apps that you otherwise would not have access to, like Kodi.

To sideload an app on a Fire TV device, you will need the APK file for that app. You can typically get these files directly from the developer's official site, but there are also a number of reputable third-party sites that provide APK files.

The two easiest methods of sideloading a Fire TV device are to use a downloader app or to sideload directly from an Android phone. The first method uses an app from the Amazon app store to download APK files to your Fire TV. Once you've downloaded an APK file you can install it. The second method sideloads apps directly from an Android phone to a Fire TV device through your Wi-Fi network.

Before You Begin: Prepare Your Fire TV Device for Sideloading

Regardless of which method you use to sideload your Fire TV device, the first thing you need to do is prepare your device for sideloading. For security reasons, Fire TV devices are not able to sideload apps unless you change two settings. This is an easy process, and you only need to do it once.

Open the Settings menu on your Fire TV device.
Select My Fire TV.

Depending on the type of Fire TV device you have, you may need to select Device instead of My Fire TV.
Select Developer options.
Turn on both ADB debugging and Apps from Unknown Sources.
To confirm that you want to run apps from unknown sources, select Turn On when prompted.

Your Fire TV device is now ready to sideload using either of the following methods.

How to Sideload a Fire TV Device Using a Downloader App

You can sideload apps to any Fire TV device, including the Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Cube, using a downloader app. This method doesn't require any additional equipment, because it uses a downloader app that is freely available from the official Fire TV app store.

Only download and install APK files from official sources and trusted third-party sites.

Here's how to sideload your Fire TV using a downloader app:

Search for Downloader using the search function or Alexa voice search.
Locate Downloader and select it.
Select Download.

This app is free, but it's still added to your library when you first download it on any Amazon device. If you have previously used this app elsewhere, you will see a You own it message. You still need to download it to your Fire TV device before you can use it for sideloading.
Wait for Downloader to install, then open it.
Enter the address of the site associated with the app you want to download. For example, you can download the Kodi app from kodi.tv/download.

Only download apps from official sources and trusted third-party sites. If you don't know where to find the app you're looking for, one of the best sites to find Fire TV apps is apkmirror.com.
Use the circle pad and center button on your Fire TV remote to navigate the app website, and locate the app you want to install.

When there are multiple versions of an app available, look for one that is designed for Android, or specifically for Fire TV. If the app is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, choose 32-bit.
Wait for the download to complete.
Select Install.
Wait for the installation to complete.

Your sideloaded app is now ready to use.

How to Sideload a Fire TV Device With an Android Phone

If you have an app installed on your Android phone and would like to have the same app installed on your Fire TV device, there's a way to sideload directly from your phone to your Fire TV. This method requires an Android phone, so it is not helpful if you are an iPhone user.

This method only works if the app you want to sideload is designed to work with Fire TV. If you try to sideload an incompatible app, you will get an error message.

Here's how to sideload apps from your Android phone to your Fire TV device:

Download and install Apps2Fire on your Android phone.
Open the Apps2Fire app, and select the menu icon indicated by three vertical dots (⋮).
Select Setup.
Select Network.
On your Fire TV, navigate to Settings > My Fire TV > Network, and write down the listed IP address.
Locate your Fire TV device in the list and select it.

Depending on your network, the devices in your list may or may not have names. If the list consists entirely of IP addresses, you will need to refer back to the IP address that you wrote down in the previous step. If you don't see your Fire TV in the list, make sure your Fire TV and your phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Select Save.
Select Local Apps.
Locate an app you want to sideload to your Fire TV device and select it.
Select Install.
Check your Fire TV. When prompted, select OK.
Go back to your phone and select OK.

The sideloaded app is now ready to use on your Fire TV.

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